FIBA 2023 World Cup: Analyzing The South Sudan Roster

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With the 19th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup getting underway on August 25th, there follows a look at the rosters for each of the 32 teams taking part. This instalment looks at the team from South Sudan, one of the youngest line-ups in the competition, befitting the world's youngest nation.

South Sudan and the country's wider diaspora have produced a litany of frontcourt talent over the past generation, but less so in the backcourt. Into the breach, then, steps Jones, a nationalised player, and an NBA one at that.

Jones spent last season on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, and while he played only 56 NBA minutes, he dominated in the G-League. In 24 regular season games, he averaged 26.1 points, 7.0 assists and only 2.5 turnovers per game, a dynamic back court force well-suited to the G-League's high-tempo, transition and high pick-and-roll style. He scores from all over with the ball, and puts forth good defensive effort to go with it, a key player on both ends. And moreover, in being such a confident and capable ball-handler, he gives this South Sudanese team something it otherwise sorely lacks, and puts the excellent role players into roles that suit them.

The concept of nationalised players with no connection in their heritage to the country that they wind up playing for internationally - which the author here assumes is the case with Jones, but is happy to be corrected about - continues to draw ire of certain sections of basketball fandom. Were international representation to become purely a transactional arrangement, that would be one thing. Yet in this instance, South Sudan getting Jones allows them to compete and establish themselves in a way that they would not without a quality guard at this key position. A growth nation in the sport taking this step to facilitate that growth is good for the game, the country and the continent. I see no drawbacks.

Dech, a Barry graduate who could also have played for Ethiopia, is the first of several South Sudanese players to have close links to Australia. Growing up in the country, he went back there after graduating in 2018 and has played his pro career to date with various NBL franchises, with the last two seasons being with the Adelaide 36ers. In 21.1 minutes per game last season, Dech averaged 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and while the scoring was almost five points per game lower than it had been in 2021/22, deferring to Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland was a large part of why.

Not a primary on-ball creator even though he may be asked to play as one here in the non-Jones minutes, nor a high-level shooter, Dech nevertheless contributes through cutting, athleticism, spotting up, and - in particular - some stand-out multi-positional defence. He has the length to guard the wings, the quick feet to get low on the smalls, and the determination to take on them all. The Anuak Deandre Liggins, if you will.

Iowa graduate Jok has hit up all the usual haunts - NBA summer league, the G-League, Spain - in his six-year professional career to date, yet the majority of it has been spent in France. Last season was a limited one for him, appearing in only eight games in the season's final month and not shooting as well as he usually does; when things are going well for him, however, Jok is a good athlete with an excellent jumper from both inside the arc and outside it, with a quick release and movement off the ball. And while he has not got the most expansive or well-rounded game outside of that, he has the main skill in the modern era.

Shayok tried to return to the NBA last season, signing with the Boston Celtics for training camp and spending the year with their G-League affiliate Maine as a result, but the call-up never came. Despite a staggering .742 true shooting percentage in 21 regular season games and a 50.0% three-point percentage (51-102), he never got back in, perhaps in part because, now aged 28, he is no longer the prospect. Still, having begun his college career as a defender and growing year on year as a versatile offensive weapon, Shayok's commitment to South Sudan for his tournament is a huge get. And when he is of the mind to play on both ends, he is a weapon.

Chaminde graduate Kuany - sometimes known as Kuany Ngor Kuany so as to distinguish him from the other Kuany Kuany, the California/VCU power forward - plays the three-and-D role very nicely. The catch-and-shoot three is the majority of his offence at this point in his career, he can drive excessive close-outs thrown at it, and although his defence is more positional than possession-winning, it pairs nicely with a frame that works in any league. Indeed, with that in mind, Kuany has been on a world tour, leaving the usual haunt of Australia to come to Europe and play in Finland and the Czech Republic (so far), experience he will use to captain the Bright Stars in this tournament.

Akot is beginning his professional career with a World Cup appearance, and his tremendous length on the wing accords with the overall ethos of the roster. He arrived at Arizona immediately ready to play defence, and left Western Kentucky six years later with a steady if not hugely diversified offensive role. Akot spots up, runs the court, passes smartly and occasionally takes turns on the ball, and while everything could do with tightening up - especially his non-dunk finishing - his contributions on that end are plenty sufficient to pair with the multi-positional defence his length offers. An excellent role player to have in a competition like this.

Also from the tremendous-length mould comes Deng, now seven years into a good quality pro career out of Louisiana-Monroe, all of which have been in Australia. Last year for the Taipans, he averaged 6.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game, a significant offensive regression from the 14.3 points per game he averaged the season before, but one largely explained by a far lesser minute share and an anomalous one-year absence for his usually-good three-point stroke. Deng's defensive awareness and feet need work, and his long thin legs have always meant struggling against stronger forwards, yet his willing to help around the basket, his spotting up, his long arms, his athletic profile and his runner make for a useful contributor in a man who does not much handle the ball.

Gabriel rejoins the national team after the best season of his NBA career. In 68 games for the Lakers - almost as many as his previous three seasons combined - he recorded averages of 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in only 15.1 minutes per game, doing so on a .626 true shooting percentage. Moving more regularly from the wing to the small-ball five spot over the years befits his playing style and athletic profile; still only an occasional shooter, Gabriel overcomes the size disadvantage against true fives with energy, a good sense of positioning and a strong rebounding rate. All of that will apply in this competition, too.

Baylor graduate Omot split last year between the G-League (appearing in 41 games between the Lakeland Magic and Westchester Knicks) and the Basketball Africa League. Across all competitions, he continued to put forward the same story that he has done against quality competition for over a decade - a face-up game in a tremendous frame for a forward, decent shooting and nice athleticism, but somewhat passive to go with it. That said, with Carlik Jones on the team now, the value of finishers versus forcing non-creators like Omot to over-extend themselves improves significantly.

Former NBA player Mathiang missed the best part of two years in what was supposed to be the prime in his career with injury, but has re-established himself in Australia (where the Breakers play, despite the name). Last season for the Illawarra Hawks, he averaged 7.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in only 18 minutes per game, and looked to have most if not all of his pre-injury mobility back. Mathiang is a defence-first paint player who has improved on the roll as a pro - it is just a shame that key earning/development seasons were lost to fate.

Acuoth was Dech's teammate at Adelaide last season, but despite several years in the NBL, he has still yet to break into a rotation anywhere. However, he did take a gap year in 2021/22 and go to Georgia of all places, where he showed what he is capable of in averaging 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 15 games for Mega Tbilisi. Although a limited offensive player with nothing reliable outside of the dunk, Acuoth's value comes defensively, where his length, decent mobility and constant contests make him quite the deterrent in the lane. He covers ground, from the rim to the elbow, from one end of the court to the other, and from Australia to Georgia.

It is fitting that the youngest nation in the world also has the youngest individual in the competition. On account of how young he is and how little experience he has, it is hard to know much about him beyond the highlight videos freely available to everyone. But those videos are intriguing.

Group A: Italy, Angola, Philippines, Dominican Republic

Group B: China, Serbia, Puerto Rico, South Sudan

Group C: USA, Greece, Jordan, New Zealand

Group D: Egypt, Mexico, Lithuania, Montenegro

Group E: Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan

Group F: Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela

Group G: Iran, Spain, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire

Group H: Canada, Latvia, France, Lebanon